Automatic door opener



March 7, 1933.. B AsHBRoK 1,900,785

AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENER Filed Oct. 10 1950 III,

III! I TTTTTT EV Patented Mar; 7, 1933 BYRON B. ASHBRVOYOK, or.ronns'rown, 01110 PATENT OFF ICE AUTOMATIC noon OPENER Applicationfiled October 10, 1930. Serial No 487,858.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic door openers and hasfor the primary object, the provision of a device of the above statedcharacter, whereby the door or doors to which the device is applied willbe automatically released from a latched position and swung to an openposition when the device is subjected to an impact, thus providing adevice especially adaptable for garages or for garage doors or the likewhere the driver of an automobile may subject the device to an impact bydriving the automobile thereagainst to release the doors that they mayswing to an open position when the automobile is hacked or reversed outof the path of the doors, thereby obviatingthe driver manually openingthe doors or having to leave the seat of the automobile in order torelease and open the doors.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an automatic dooropener ofthe above stated character which will be simple, durable andefficient, and which maybe manufactured and sold at a comparatively lowcost.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction combination and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my inventiomreference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary rear elevation illustrating doors of abuilding or garage with an automatic door opener applied thereto andconstructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the latch.

Figure 4 is a similar view illustrating the operating means for thelatch.

Fi ure 5 is an elevational view illustra ing a combined operating andlocking means for the latch.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the

numeral 1 indicates a fragmentary portion" of a building which may be; agarage or the like and the door way thereof is closed by hinged doors2,one of which is provided with a overlapping strip 3 to retain the otherdoor in a closed position when the former door is fastened. The doors 2are mounted on hinges 4 which are secured to the building 1 so that thedoors may swing outwardly of the building. Brackets 5 are secured to thebuilding 1 and carry expansion springs 6 engaging the doors 2 for urgingthe doors into an open position. when released from a closed position bythe latch which will be hereinafter more fully described. V 1

A keeper 7 is carried by the building 1 and slidably receives a latchbolt 8 having a beveled end 9 and which is slidably mounted in a, casing10 secured to one of the doors.

The latch bolt 8 is provided with a bore 11 to slidably receive theupperend of an operating rod 12 and which is provided with a head 13engaging a spring 14 located within the bore 11 for the purpose ofyieldably supporting the latch bolt 8v relative to the rod 12 andfurther providing a construction which will disengage the latch from thekeeper 7 during a downward movement of the operating rod 12.

A bracket 15 is secured to the door on which the casing 10 is mountedand includes inner and outer plates 16 and 17 respectively and on whichare formed relatively spaced cars 18 and 19. The plates 16 and 17 areprovided withaligned openings 19 in registration with an opening 20extending through the respective door. A ivot pin 21 connects the ears18 and has JOurnaled thereon a combined operating and locking lever 22of arcuate shape and which is provided at one end with an eye to receivea ring 23 carried by the lower end of the operating rod 12 to provide aflexible connection between said lever and the rod. The opposite end ofthe lever 22 is provided with a slot 24 to receive the arm portion 25 ofa substantially L-shaped lever 26. The arm portion 25 of the lever 26besides extending through the slot 24 extends through the opening 19 ofthe plates 16 and 17 and the opening 20 of the respective door so as toposition the arm portion 27 of the lever 26 at an opposite side of therespective door from that of the lever 22 and on the outside of the doorto be given an impact for the purpose of releasing the latch bolt 8 fromthe keeper 7. The arm portion 27 of the lever 26 inclines outwardly anddownwardly from the outer face of the door and a shoulder 28 is formedon the arm portion 25. adjacent to the arm portion 27 to form a seat toreceive a rib 29 on the plate 17 of the bracket 15 to pivotally mountthe lever 26 to the door. The arm portion 27 of the lever 26 when beingmoved towards the door will cause the lever 22 to be rocked upon itspivot disengaging the catch 8 from the keeper 7 freeing the doors thatthey may swing automatically to an open position by the influence of thesprings 6.

The journal portion of the lever 22 and at one side of the lever isprovided with teeth 30 to engage corresponding teeth on a member 31secured to one of the cars 18 of the bracket 15 for the purpose ofholding the lever 22 in a position retracting the latch bolt 8 from thekeeper 7 consequently after the lever 26 has been once actuated, by animpact, the lever 22 is moved into a position to release the catch fromthe keeper and is locked in this position by the teeth 30 engaging theteeth on the member 31 therefore it will be seen that the doors are thenfree to swing open by the influence of the springs 6.

In operation, the doors occupy a closed position, the driver of anautomobile causes the bumper or some other part of the automobile tostrike against the arm portion 27 of the lever 26 imparting a movementto the lever 22 which retracts the latch from the keeper 7 and holdssaid latch in a retracted position. The driver then reverses thedirection of the automobile and the doors swing to an open positionunder the influence of the springs 6 leaving the door way of the garageor building fully open that the driver of the automobile then canproceed with the automobile into the building or garage.

The ears 19 of the bracket 15 are provided with aligned openings 32 toreceive a pad-lock or the like for the purpose of holding the lever 26against pivotal movement consequently preventing the unlocking of thedoors.

If desired an expansion spring 33 may be located in the casing 10 fornormally urging the latch bolt 8 outwardly, however it will beunderstood that the latch bolt is limited in its outward movement by theoperating rod 12, and the latter is provided with a turn-buckle 35 topermit the length thereof to be varied. A spring 34 is located on thepreferred embodiment of my invention, it

will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination andarrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

A latch operating device comprising plates secured to opposite faces ofa door and havlng aligned opemngs, spaced ears on one of said plates, arib formed on the other plate, an L-shaped lever having a recessreceiving the rib with a portion thereof extending through the openingsand the door, a pivot pin connecting said ears, teeth on one of saidears, an arcuately curved lever journalled and slidable on the pin andhaving one end connected to a latch operating medium and provided in itsopposite end w1th a slot to recelve the first named lever,

teeth on the second lever, and tension means on the pin to urge thesecond lever into a position to engage the teeth and cause a securing ofthe second lever against movement in one direction after being moved bythe first lever.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

BYRON B. ASHBROOK.

